Farm to School in the Rutland Community

Shrewsbury Mountain School staff and community partner S.A.G.E. (Shrewsbury Agriculture Education & Arts Foundation) showcased their growing partnership in building and sustaining their farm to school programming. Together, they’ve rebuilt their school garden, planted a small apple orchard, and constructed a compost system. “Fifth and sixth graders will be leading an assembly to introduce the rest of the students to the new compost program” shared S.A.G.E. Program Director Stephen Abatiell. 

The school cook delivers the compost to a local farmer for pig feed. The connections that food creates between the school and the community is important to Principal Kristin Cimonetti. ”I love when students see adults really investing in their education, so they do it when they grow up. They're learning on the backs of their community, and it teaches them to give back later.”

The school has also made investments to make the farm to school programming more sustainable by offering the longtime farm to school champion, educator Julia Bonafine, a year-round stipend for her work in the garden, supporting student cooking opportunities with fellow teachers, and coordinating the annual harvest festival. Julia works closely with S.A.G.E., especially in the care for the garden. “I feel like someday I can retire and walk away and the garden will still be there,” she shares.

Just down the road, Evening Song Farm is growing organic produce for the community, including greens for the Shrewsbury Mountain School school food program. Network partners gathered by the greenhouses to hear from farmers Ryan and Kara Fitzbeauchamp about their journey farming in Shrewsbury — a story of resilience and innovation.

The farm has overcome significant challenges, including moving and rebuilding after Hurricane Irene, with the support of their community. Over the years, Ryan and Kara have expanded their operations, grown their team, adapted their growing practices to address climate change, and collaborated on cutting-edge rotational no-till research.

As parents in the community, they see Evening Song Farm as more than just a source of fresh produce—it’s a resource for fostering food education. Ryan and Kara are passionate about helping youth learn where their food comes from and how to grow it themselves, strengthening the connection between farming and community well-being.

Rutland-based nonprofit Vermont Farmers Food Center is supporting these farm-community relationships throughout the county and improving local food access. Their Farm-Based Experiential Learning program’s homebase is a large educational greenhouse. Although already put to bed for the season, Executive Director Heidi Lynch conjured up images of lively workshops and kids digging in the soil in this shared-use space where area organizations and educational institutions can teach plant science, nature connection, greenhouse management, and four-season production techniques.

A Reflection & Next Steps

It’s been ten years since our last strategic systems mapping process, which charted the course for farm to school work in the state. We reviewed the existing plan, looked back on the year, and asked ourselves, “What needs to shift to make the change we want to see and reach our goal of farm to school in every community?”

A consensus: we’re proud of what we have accomplished but there is a lot more work to be done. As we look into 2025, we’ll be digging deeper, reflecting, and strategizing how to grow farm to school for the world we live in now. Network members will have the opportunity to  participate in visioning and planning activities to set our strategic direction and actions. More to come soon!